


Arginett: Your Friendly Neighborhood Mercenary

by uncouthulhu



Series: The Life and Times of Arginett Endelon [1]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:34:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24757090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uncouthulhu/pseuds/uncouthulhu
Summary: Original Summary: "The adventures of an elf, a thief, a healer, a Valkyrie, and a mercenary as they travel through Middle Earth."This story was originally posted on FanFiction.net in 2011 and is the spiritual predecessor to my other story that takes place in the same universe. The last chapter of this fic is the first draft of that other story.In other words, here is my self-insert fanfic with my OG OC from back in the days.
Series: The Life and Times of Arginett Endelon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790386





	1. Let's Get Acquainted!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm posting this exactly as it is on FF.net so it includes those terrible intros and outros that were popular back in the day. If there are any inconsistencies please keep in mind that this was a) written 10 years ago by a toddler and b) I really don't care.
> 
> "EmpressArginett" was my ff.net handle at the time, and Maverick (Cece's Creator) was my partner at the time.

Credit for Cecelia goes to my friend Maverick!

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Arginett: Here's chapter 1!

Aragorn: How do you have this much energy after almost losing an arm?

Arginett: It's all about practice, my brother!

Cecelia: Well, at least they can read it now.

Arginett: Oh, yeah! Enjoy!

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You see, all of the horribly random stuff that has happened to me for that last few years I solely blame on a little pickpocket named Cecelia. She irks me, but I love her anyways. You see, we met in the district market of Gondor, where I happened to be buying some new daggers from my favorite vendor, when I felt someone behind me. I half-turned, but stopped when I felt a hand in the bag on my hip. I then whirled around, slamming the bag that I had into their head. They flew backwards a few hundred feet, and then hit a stone wall with a considerable amount of force. I was content, but then I realized that I had just bashed a small girl into oblivion. I groaned and ran over to her. She was dazedly looking around, as she had slumped against the wall, and had a bemused expression on her face. I knelt next to her, and looked her over for injuries. I decided to get some information out of her before she got her senses back, and asked her what her name was.

"Cecelia…"she slurred her words, indicating a slight concussion, and then she then muttered something about narwhals, but I ignored it.

"My name is Arginett. You just stuck your hand in my pocket. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume that you were not intending to steal what was in that pocket- which happens to be a bunch of staples- and say you had more innocent intentions." Yes, it might sound like I'm rambling, but I really do talk that much; my friends say I like hearing my own voice too much, and it's pretty much true. She looked at me like she already knew my reputation- usually you would say 'like I had a screw loose', but since that is my reputation, I'll just stick with it- and shrugged.

"Nope, I was trying to take your money, or something I could sell." I laughed; honesty is something I like in a teenager, even if they are pains.

"Well, since those staples are worth nothing and would only give you a cut up hand that was pretty stupid." She shrugged again, and I lost the act of 'somewhat nice person'.

"Well, you're obviously either stupid or ignorant; which is it?" She scowled,

"Neither; though some would argue that point. They would argue vehemently." I grinned; she was getting on my good side, however odd that may seem. She was still out of it, and I mulled over what I had so far observed;

She was around 13, with short, blond hair, and she dressed like a wannabe rebel. I know what rebel looks like, since that's how I dress all the time, and she was not it. With ragged, small, black clothes, and leather boots, she was that kind of person who tried to look cool to draw attention away from something else. Probably her height, since I was about two heads taller than her. I told her that I was going to kidnap her, as I was in need of a small, young girl-don't get the wrong idea, you sicko's-, and that was when she started to look scared. I'm guessing normal people don't announce that they are going to kidnap you, but you can guess that I'm not normal.

Cece PoV;

The woman was crazy. That much was sure. I looked her over as she ought her stuff, and what I saw furthered my conviction; she was wearing leather, with lace up boots, a cloak, and four different hand-bags. All of this was leather. She looked like a monster. There was a dangerous-looking sword on her right hip, and her hair was ridiculously long, with colorful feathers and beads thrown in at random. As I looked closer, I saw a bright, beautiful tattoo of a flaming bird- a phoenix, I remembered they were called- on her neck and, though I couldn't see it, I figured it continued down her back. She had a series of scars running over her arms, which, I realized, were bulging with compacted muscles. She could probably throw me across the city if she wanted to. I remembered; she just had. Then she poked me, and I realized she was waiting for an answer to a question that I had thought was rhetorical. I shook my head, "No; neither. Though some would argue at that point. They would argue vehemently." I nearly had a heart-attack as the features of her face suddenly changed into that of a much younger person that I had thought she was; even the color of her eyes had changed.

Arginett PoV;

When I got the girl –'Cece; I must remember to call her Cece'- to stand up, I grabbed her arm and started walking her to my house. We passed the poorer districts quickly, trying to avoid the ruffians who always tried to avoid me. I think I scare them. When we got to the nicer district, I slowed her down, now doing more of a stroll than a brisk pace.

Cecelia PoV;

The woman- 'Arginett'- was taking me to her house, I think; or maybe her lair. I was wary of her strength; usually I can take more than a few hits before I'm beat, so I let her take me where she wanted. Once she slowed down enough so that I could see the houses and shops we were passing, I started to analyze her once more.

Her eyes were green now, and they looked natural on her, for some reason. They say that eyes are the pathway to the soul, and I could tell that whoever said that was probably stupid, and had not made that remark while looking at this woman. Her eyes were dark and aware, taking in everything at a single glance, yet at the same time still full of happiness and enthusiasm. She was guarding a secret though; that much I could tell. We walked for a long time, until we reached the rich, snobby district. 'She's probably a mercenary, who is taking me to her victim's house as a distraction' I would later learn that some of that statement was true, yet none of it was logical. As we passed by more houses, the road got cleaner and more level, while the surroundings got fancier and more... quaint. 'This target of hers must be pretty important, to live this deep in the poshy-town.' I was inwardly horrified as people saw us through their windows, and the went on the slam the shut in fear. I looked towards the woman; she was ignoring everything, simply walking forwards. Then the street ended abruptly; it was like they had just stopped expanding. I looked up and gasped; we were standing in front of the biggest house I had ever seen- it was more a mansion. It seemed to be about a mile wide, and half a mile high. There were turrets and gargoyles posted next to each window, which were spaced around two meters apart, all along the upper floor's perimeter. From what I could see, it was made entirely out of stone, and there was a large, menacing gate directly in front of us, blocking our entrance. I was horrified; this could have been the great king's summer home! And she was going to break into it!

I gathered up all the strength that I owned and pulled my wrist out of her grasp. She turned to look at me as I began yelling at her.

"I will not help you murder the owner of that house! What kind of insane retard are you to even consider entering it?! And trying to use me as a distraction! What are you thinking, you idiot woman?" I bellowed at her. I stood there, fuming, until I heard a small choking noise coming from the wacko's direction.

She was laughing.

Arginett PoV;

She thought that I was a mercenary, going to kill the owner of the mansion? I tried, really I did; but I just couldn't hold in the laughs.

I was almost in tears from the hilarity of the situation. After I finally composed myself, I explained everything.

Cece PoV;

"This is my house, shrimp. And since I have no interest in killing myself, you have no need to help me. As for what I'm thinking, I'm thinking that you are very strange, and I'm trying to remember what we have in the cold storage, since I

have to prepare dinner." I stared at her. I couldn't help it; it was ridiculous. How could someone like her own a house like this? It was outrageous. I was utterly stupefied, and yet at the same time, unsurprised. Hell, I don't know what I was; if you had said I was a hamster at the time, I probably would've believed you.

Arginett PoV;

I laughed at the expressions –and there were many- on her face, and then I opened the gate, and led her inside. The main hall, which is most of the house, was well-furnished, with red carpets and leather couches, all soft and insanely comfortable. I gestured to the room in general, "Explore, if you want to. Don't try to escape, because I'm leaving the front door unlocked and the gate open. Just leave, if that suits your fancy. If you want to know why I brought you here, then stay until dinner." She looked at me and nodded, "What will you be doing in the time until then?" I smiled, "I'm going on a trip tomorrow, so I'll be packing up." I left her to her own devices, and wandered, grabbing whatever I'd need if I saw it, promising myself I'd look for it later if I didn't.

Cece PoV;

After she left the room through one of the corridors, I had a little internal debate. I knew that whenever a rich person was interested in someone, money was usually involved, and I was in need of money. However, the fact that she was crazy made up nearly my whole 'con' argument. How do you trust someone who is completely out of their mind? You don't, if you have sanity yourself. I meandered over to one of the couches that was directly in front of the fire, and sat down. I gasped; it was the most comfortable couch I'd ever sat on! I moved, squirmed, and floundered in all possible ways, but there was no

denying it; the couch was heaven. Soon my eyes grew tired, and I decided to get up before I fell asleep on the couch. I walked into the first door on the left of the couch, and found myself looking at the biggest collection of weapons I think exists.

Arginett PoV;

After I finished packing, I went to check on Cece. I found her in my weapons room, ogling the extensive room that contained row upon row of my favorite thing: objects used to maim people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a sadistic creeper who takes pleasure in killing or hurting people, I just like practicing and excelling at any weapon there is. She turned and saw me, "Do you use all of these?" I nodded, "Yup! I lend them to anyone who needs them. I also use them to help in my own various jobs." I ignored her questioning look and said, "If you want, you can sleep here tonight. I've got a few extra rooms, and you can take your pick." She nodded, grabbed her things, and went in search of one of the said rooms. "Oh, and Cece?" She looked back at me. "I've got a business proposal for you. Let's talk over some dinner, ok?" she nodded and continued on her way.

During dinner, I was watching as Cecelia wolfed down anything in sight. I was a little afraid to try to get something, in case she grabbed my hand and tried to eat me. I just sat and marveled at the sight. I decided to ask her what I had mentioned earlier and see if she heard me.

"Cecelia, I was wondering if you would like to be my apprentice." After choking on her food a little, she swallowed and answered.

"You want me as your apprentice?" I nodded, "Yup! I'be been meaning to get another one, but I haven't found anyone willing to travel with me. I have a reputation as an eccentric wacko- not that I haven't encouraged it at every opportunity. So, what do you say?" She looked thoughtful, but not persuaded, so I continued, "Although you'll be bound in a two-year contract, I'll give you food-three square meals a day, plus snacks- protection, and a personal transportation servant, and even get you ice cream!" She looked slightly persuaded, so I told her that she could think of her answer and tell me in the morning. With that over and done with, we finished our meals, and then I went to go lock up the house so that I wouldn't have to find time/ wake up early in order to do it in the morning. After I was done, I walked around until I couldn't feel my eyes, and then I went to sleep.

Later, I woke up on the living room couch that I had spotted Cece sitting on earlier. I couldn't find out what had woken me, so I just rolled over and prepared to go back to sleep. However, as I was about to do so, I heard a small noise near the room Cece had chosen to sleep in. As I feigned turning over in my sleep, I stole a look at the door and saw that she seemed to be looking for something. When she saw the couch, she shrugged, and before I could warn her, she tensed, ran, and jumped onto the couch- the one that I was laying on. I yelped as her bony little body crashed down on top of mine, and when she heard me, she literally flew backwards and off of me. As I started wheezing from the lack of oxygen anywhere in my body, she came up to me, "Oh my god, are you okay? I thought you were in one of the rooms and I didn't see you and I was just looking for a different place to sleep!" I glowered at her, and she stopped talking. I took a deep, painful breath, and I said, "I'm fine." She sighed in relief, and I continued, "Why didn't you want to sleep in the master bedroom?" She frowned, then said, "Well, there's that big creepy statue in there, and it kind of scared me, so I decided to sleep here, 'cuz I remembered how comfy it was from earlier." I nodded. The grotesquely decorated urn was a gift from my foster father, Steve, who has a horrible taste in decoration.

As neither of could find the energy to go to sleep, she sat with me on the couch, and we talked. When she got around to the topic of what I did, I evaded her question with one of my own, "What have you decided about my offer?" She fell silent, contemplating.

After a while, she spoke, "I've decided to come with you, but first I want to know where we would be going tomorrow." I nodded, "Well, technically, the correct term would be 'today',"

Cece PoV;

"We're going to rendezvous with my friends, and then we're going to find the king." She said in her low tenor voice. I gasped, "The king?" She nodded. We are going to offer our assistance in ending the war. We've been helping behind the scenes for a while now, but today we are going to make it official."

My eyes widened. "I'm going to meet the true heir of Gondor…"

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EmpressArginett; Finally! I've turned a dirty piece of crap into something that resembles and exposition! My genius has not failed me! So, just to let you know, Cecelia has a rare form of Fangirlitis in the case of Aragorn. He is her hero,

and –as much as it sickens me- she will be constantly drooling over his pompous self. I like the guy, but I usually take on the opinions of my favorite character or my OCs and Arginett has a love-hate relationship with him. Well, stay tuned!

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Arginett: I hate that urn!

Steve: Why?

Arginett: … I was just kidding! I love that urn!

Aragorn: Bipolar moment…

Cecelia: I know, right? Anyway, please review and tell us how it was! Arginett likes appreciation for her hard work!

Arginett: Darn straight I do!

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Review Plz!


	2. Get Ready! Get Set! Has Anyone Seen Go?

I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR ANYONE IN THIS STORY EXCEPT FOR ARGINETT.

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Arginett: That means that the person who recorded this story doesn't own anything!

Cecelia: Aragorn! Why won't you just admit your love and be with me?

Arginett: O.o

Aragorn: … O.o

Cecelia: T.T

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When the two eccentric young (A/N: Ha! Young…. Right) woman left the Arginett residence on horseback, those in the streets tried not to stare. They were worried, to say the least. No, they weren't worried for Arginett, oh no; they're pity was purely intended for the young lady who seemed to have missed some of the rumors about the woman she was riding with. Obviously they hadn't heard that this woman was a mercenary, who worked for the great Gandalf himself! She wasn't someone to be taken lightly, and Cecelia was in danger-or so they thought. Cece was still trying to pronounce her horse's name, which was something like 'Bumblebee'. She sighed in defeat and turned to Arginett, "What's the horses name again?" Arginett smiled, "Beelzebub. And he's got the personality to match the name." Cece nodded, as if she understood the joke, when, in reality, she had no idea who this 'Beelzebub' was. She sighed once more before banishing the thoughts from her head, to make room for ones about what Arginett had told her.

*flashback*

"We're going to rendezvous with my friends, and then we're going to find the king." Arginett said in her low tenor voice. Cecelia gasped, "The king?" Arginett nodded. We are going to offer our assistance in ending the war. We've been helping behind the scenes for a while now, but today we are going to make it official." Cecelia's eyes widened. "I'm going to meet the true heir of Gondor…"

*end flashback*

Cecelia turned once again to Arginett, frowning at the uneasy look that her newly (self-) appointed mentor had on her face. When Arginett saw her apprentice looking at her, she smiled and asked, "Do you need something, Cece?" Cecelia shook her head, "No, I just wanted to know what the king looks like." Arginett pouted, surprising Cecelia, "He looks a little like me, only his hair is around this length" here she gestured to a place high on her neck, "and he's much shorter, though most people are. He also wears leather, chain mail, and a cape. His eyes are blue, and he has stubble that wants to claim it's a beard." Cecelia nodded, and turned back around to ponder what Arginett had told her.

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After they made their way to the edge of the city, Arginett got off of her horse and tied it to a post outside of a bakery. She then told Cecelia to do the same. After Beelzebub was properly restrained, they walked inside. Arginett told Cecelia to look around while she went to talk to the Baker, and Cecelia obeyed her, eavesdropping on the conversation that her mentor then started. "Hey Maccus! Can you stock us up for a two-day journey?" Maccus, the baker, looked up from his desk and smiled, "Lady Arginett; how nice to see you again. You said we, so I can assume you are traveling with that nice girl over there?" Arginett snorted, "Get a life, Maccus. Your personality is just fine, so don't go changing it like that." Maccus grinned, "Ah know. Ah just like messin' with the new customers, that's all. A stock up fer a two-day trip, comin' yer way!" And with a dramatic flourish, Maccus leapt into the back room, where clanging and mumbling could be heard soon after. Arginett shouted, "We'll be back in a little bit, so don't rush, Maccus!" A little obscene language started up before he came out and glared at her, "Ya coulda' told me that sooner, Lady Arginett." The 'lady' giggled, before flouncing out the door, dragging Cecelia behind her.

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When questioned about their next location, Arginett replied, singing, "We're off to see the chopper! The most wonderful chopper of all!" Effectively silencing her apprentice with her attitude, Arginett then flounced into butchery. "Barry! We've come for your meat! Give it up quietly and everypony gets out unscathed!" A wiry man came out of a door in the back of the lobby, wiping his hands on his apron. "Arginett! What's on demand today?" Arginett grinned, "I'm going on a trip! I need enough meat to feed me and this kid" she yanked Cecelia nest to her using the girls arm, "And me for two days! Think you can handle it?" Barry ran a hand through his brown-ish hair, and grinned, "I can do it! I just have to go get some more victims before I start!" Arginett assured Cece that no, Barry did not mean people; he was just a really weird dude, as Barry got to work on her order. (A/N: Any Fullmetal Alchemist fans out there? Well, meet berry the chopper, version 3.0! Not some insane serial killer (1.0) or some empty suit of armor (2.0) but a nice, friendly butcher!) Once Barry had finished getting ready the massive amount of food that would leave Arginett feeling content enough to fight, they left to go and pick up the baked goods to accompany it. When they got there, Maccus had two customers who glared at Arginett in an un-neighborly way. "Hey, friends! What are you doing here?" Arginett asked them, beaming. One of them, a woman, flipped her off. (A/N: Sorry! I just had to! I apologize to those who thought that this was going to be a G rated story!) Arginett apparently didn't notice it, and said, "Martha, you look really pretty today! What did you do to your hair, give it to Barry? It sure looks like somebody butchered it!" Cecelia was gaping at her. Arginett had just said all of that with an innocent and even childish look on her face. Her acting skills were truly commendable. Just then, Maccus walked back into the room and, noticing the glares Arginett was being sent, scolded her for harassing his customers. Arginett retaliated, "She flipped me off! She deserves to be told the truth, no matter how bad it hurts." The lady huffed, but remained in line; Maccus' goods were the best in the county, so storming out wasn't really of benefit to her. Arginett growled at one of the cakes on display, "You stupid piece of pastry! You make me so mad! You just sit there, ignoring me, and I hate you! How I the name of Ra do you have the right to be a cake? You are obviously an oversized muffin!" Maccus pouted, "Just 'cuz you don't like 'im doesn't mean you 'ave to be so mean to 'im. You yell at 'im every time you're in 'ere." The two other ladies in the room (plus Cecelia) were frowning at this conversation. Arginett sighed, "I'm sorry cake. I shouldn't take my anger at other buffoons out on you. It's not your fault Maccus decided to name you after someone you're not. Maccus, is my order ready?" He nodded, and reached behind the counter, pulling out a large bundle. "Here you go," he said as he gave them to her. Arginett smiled and tossed im the money. After they left, Cecelia started humming as she rode her horse down the street.

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As they left Gondor, Cecelia noticed Arginett nervously scanning the skies. When asked about it, her mentor merely replied with a shaky smile, and a shrug; she clearly wasn't going to tell Cecelia, so she decided to drop it. Sooner than expected, the sun was in the middle of the sky, signaling the travelers that it was time to eat and rest. However, Arginett told Cecelia that they had to keep going for a little while longer. Cece was confused, until she realized that Arginett was now looking at the skies behind her, and not in front or above, as she had been doing for a while. The small apprentice gathered from this that they were in some faint danger in the area they traveled, so she agreed with Arginett and kept going.

When the two got to a grassy plain in the middle of the desert, Cecelia helped Arginett set up camp, and then they ate a small meal together under a shady canvas. During their meal, Arginett told Cecelia stories of times long past, when the Urak-Hai had been less abundant, and danger scarce. Arginett spoke of these times with a strange longing in her voice, as if she had been there, and, not for the first time, Cecelia found herself wondering how old Arginett really was. Once they were finished eating, Cecelia suggested that they played 20 questions; a common game in Gondor, where they would each take turns telling each other things about themselves, until the number of secrets shared equaled a total of twenty. Arginett enthusiastically agreed, and so they started.

"Arginett, how old are you?" Cecelia asked. Arginett frowned, and her fingers twitched as if she were counting. After a little while, Arginett answered with a number that shocked Cece into silence; "I'm 98 and 11 months old." After Arginett ran out of patience with the gaping girl, she snapped, "It's not thatold! My foster father is at least 4 times that age!" Unfortunately for her, the last sentence only made Cecelia more shocked, and her gaze intensified greatly. But then Cecelia realized another thing; Arginett had said foster father. She lowered her eyes, and said quietly, "So you don't have parents either, then?"

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Steve: This chapter was short…

Arginett: So? At least it stopped somewhere reasonable! You got a problem with that?

Steve: ….No…

Arginett: Then. Say. Your. Line. ~.~ *glares*

Steve: *sigh* The writer doesn't own FMA, LOTR, or anything else mentioned in the story, other that the OCs.

Arginett: Those who review get to pet Steve!

Steve: WHAT! I didn't agree to that!


	3. Of Cabbages And Kings!

I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY EXCEPT FOR MY OWN OCs.

Arginett; This is the longest chapter yet! Hooray!

Steve; The writer owns naught!

EmpressArginett; To answer to a review I received, this story is mostly a comedy, but I've written more description and settings and dialogue into the story, and I'm rewriting the first two chapters to be longer and more slowly paced.

Arginett; And now, Enjoy!

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Last Chapter;

"But then Cecelia realized another thing; Arginett had said foster father. She lowered her eyes, and said quietly, "So you don't have parents either, then?"

Arginett gave her a look, "Nope. That's why you were taking my things, huh? No money. I've got a foster father, who may have been married at some point, but I can't remember to whom. Now, hows about we go sleep, alright?" Cecelia giggled as Arginett practically fled from the topic before she followed her mentor into the tent. Arginett smiled and held out a woolen blanket, "I got this for you; it's a lot warmer than what you've got." Cecelia thanked her and snuggled into it, waiting for her mentor to fall asleep before sneaking out of the tent to sit on a tree stump and think.

Arginett POV

I woke up to the intense and painful feeling of burning. As I was thrashing around silently in the dark, I tried to figure out why I was feeling this way; why were my insides burning? As I finally got out of my blankets and hobbled to the opening of the tent, looking around for the source of this irrational pain. As I did, I suddenly heard something that made my legs practically buckle; it was a voice singing, almost child-like. I sighed as I realized why I was having such a violent attack; innocence. The voice oozed with purity that made my whole body feel as if knives were plunging through it. As I gradually got to my feet, I trudged over to where the feeling was strongest, and I found Cecelia sitting on a log, singing while gazing at something in her hand. As I walked up behind her, I saw that it was a locket with a painting of a boy. I recalled that Cecelia had mentioned a boy that had died when they lived together. Apparently, they had not had enough medicine to heal him properly, and he perished, leaving Cecelia to live on her own. The locket was small, and rectangular. As she suddenly turned around, snapping the locket shut, I caught a glimpse of a delicate engraving on the front. It was of a wolf, which I recognized as the goddess Lupa. She was said to lead deceased children to the next life, and those who see her are granted the ability to see those who had stayed behind; ghosts. I smiled at Cecelia, who had ceased her singing when she had noticed my presence. I sat down, still shaking from the strain of her purity. She glanced at my closed in form with a little concern, but I assured her that I was okay.

"I saw that Lupa was on your locket. Does that mean that she guided your friend?" I received a nod. "If you saw that, then you have the ability to see ghosts?" She stiffened, "I prefer to call them 'imprints of departed souls." I snorted, "From a vast amount of experience on the subject, I can truthfully say that telling them you have pity will just tick 'em off." She stared at me. I grinned, "My childhood was spent gallivanting about with the vast majority of my companions being dead and floating around." She might have turned green at that comment, but it may also have been the reflection of the moon. I smiled, "Tomorrow we'll meet up with a friend of mine. Her name's Lilka. I met her when dealing with a traitorous buffoon who tried to take over my home." That certainly caught my young apprentice's attention. As I saw Cecelia open her mouth to begin talking, I waved my hand in the air, "Cece, it's like 4 in the morning; we both need sleep, so you can ask me questions in the morning." She reluctantly nodded, and then we both went into the tent and fell asleep.

Normal POV

The next morning, Cecelia awoke to the sounds and smells of breakfast. As she leapt out of her make-shift bed, she quickly re-did her dagger sheath-as it had become undone during the night- and walked outside. She was greeted by the strange sight of a woman who was even taller than Arginett, standing next to the said mentor, who was cooking what appeared to be bacon and eggs. At the sight of her, the unfamiliar woman's eyebrow rose, but she made no comment. Arginett caught the look, and turned to see Cecelia standing behind her. "Ah, Cecelia, I'm making- Holy Ra, what happened to your hair? It looks like Steve got to it! Go and make yourself neat or no food for you!" Groaning, Cecelia made to do as she was told, washing, drying, and then somewhat styling her hair. When she came back she saw Arginett lying on the ground. Cecelia ran up to her in concern, but stopped when she heard a deep, throaty laugh coming from the direction of Lilka, and so she shot her a questioning look. Lilka smiled, "Arginett just got the reply from her annual citizen questionnaire. Every prominent Gondorian has to fill it out every year. She always sends in some stupid, humorous answers, and this time they sent a reply. Here, read it; answers are first, then the ministers," She added, holding out a leaf of paper. It read,

Gondor's Citizens Questionnaire; Arginett Endelon

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

You mean one that stands out above all the rest?

Wow… tough question.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

When I'm not dying, running, losing, crying, drowning, burning, bleeding, tripping, crawling, etc.

wise, very wise

What is your current state of mind?

Unstable, or so they tell me.

For good reason!

What is your favorite occupation?

Training, learning, being a monumental pest.

And she's very good at it!

What is your most treasured possession?

My sword! Oh, and my dear family of course.

Sweet... Steve included? Logan?

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My hubby!

The famous Wolverine!

What is your favorite journey?

The hell does that mean?

example: journey to the bathroom when you have to whiz

What is your most marked characteristic?

My endearingly charismatic personality.

of course it is... or maybe your ego

When and where were you the happiest?

When I didn't know what the more twisted fan girls accuse my brother, ex-husband, and current husband of doing

. don't think about that one too much

What is it that you most dislike?

Gandalf

. agreed

What is your greatest fear?

Who do you work for?

Uh... nobody? *cough CIA cough*

What is your greatest extravagance?

Pardon? What does 'ext-er-ravigants' mean?

Funny. Truly hilarious.

Which living person do you most despise?

Living? There's a whole bunch, but probably that sleaze, Gandalf.

lol "sleaze"

What is your greatest regret?

Getting a third apprentice. I hadn't lost my remaining sanity with the first two, but they always say, third time's the charm!

Aww... you had sanity?

Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to read minds... watch out, world!

oh dear

Where would you like to live?

Anywhere dragons can't get near.

But they're soooo cute!

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Lack of self-confidence. If you can't rely on yourself, you are truly pathetic.

true, true

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Strength, HUMILITY, and the ability to take one of my jokes without crying.

a good combination

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

In my opinion, if you share a trait with me, you're perfect.

Am I perfect?

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I let Saruman get to me, and then i hurt people who i was supposed to be protecting.

wow, deep, i love the truthfulness of this

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Arrogance. I believe that i have enough arrogance to make the world go round.

you do indeed

What do you most value in your friends? Everything! And especially their taste in mercenaries

Meaning you?

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Wolverine! I wuv him so much!

You mean Cyclops, right?

Whose are your heroes in real life?

Omri, Lunatia, and my Valkyrie pal! Aww!

Which living person do you most admire?

Wolverine, Barry, Maccus, and Ari.

Ari! That's surprising! Also, Maccus the baker?

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Innocence. The mere word makes my insides throw up on themselves.

Snow white makes you sick?

On what occasions do you lie?

...I love Steve's urn! Why would you say otherwise? heh, he... *shoots nervous glances at door*

Sometimes the truth hurts...

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

"Because shut up!" and, "leave me be you hellish fiend!"

they match your personality

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would change my past. I've made too many mistakes, and hurt too many people through my blood lust

. D;

*Sweatdrops* Ok, What are your favorite names?

Ashitaka, Margeret, Bran, Mayur, and everything else!

Bran!

How would you like to die?

from the impending doom of Chococalypse

2012

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

Most definitely a peacock. I think i may have been one in a past life, too.

You'll have to fight Lucius for it

What is your motto?

"What doesn't kill you or maul you beyond compare, you probably could have avoided in the first place"

*Steve the orc*

If I were a month, I would be

July, cuz it's temperamental

If I were a day of the week, I would be

Sunday; a school night, the buzz kill, end of the weekend

If I were a time of day, I would be

Noon!

If I were a planet, I would be

The Sun!

If I were a sea animal, I would be

A Narwhal

If I were a direction, I would be

South...

If I were a liquid, I would be

Arsenic

If I were a bird I would be

A jabberwocky

If I were a cat I would be

An Egyptian Mau

If I were a dog I would be a

St. Bernard!

If I were a tree, I would be

Rosewood

If I were a tool, I would be

A dagger!

If I were a flower, I would be

A thorn rose

If I were a type of weather, I would be

A hurricane

If I were an animal, I would be

A peacock; didn't i already tell you this?

If I were a season I would be

Summer!

If I were a holiday I would be

Halloween

If I were a color, I would be

Red or black

If I were an emotion, I would be

Wry amusement

If I were a sound, I would be

The sound of metal on metal

If I were an element, I would be

Fire

If I were a food, I would be

A peach

If I were a place, I would be

El Dorado!

if I were a body of water I would be

a sea!

If I were a song I would be

Bring Me to Life

If I were a gemstone I would be

Gorgonite; it brings out the worst in whoever touches it

If I were a metal I would be

Steel

If I were a word, I would be

Abstruse

"Wow," said Cecelia, trying not to laugh, "You didn't give one straight answer in this thing, Arginett." Her mentor giggled, "Nope. They always try to get me to tell them my secrets in those things. Mines specifically tailored to me; I've seen other peoples, which say stuff like, 'what is your average monthly income?' Min says, 'When are you going to pay your bills?'" Lilka laughed, "That's because you are a mysterious mercenary living in the nicest part of Gondor besides to palace." Arginett inclined her head, "True." Cecelia giggles, and then blushed when her stomach rumbled. Arginett flew off of the ground, and rushed to the table, "I totally forgot about the food! Here!" she said, thrusting a full plate of eggs and bread into Cece's face. "Eat, and don't stop till you can't see your toes anymore." Cecelia rolled her eyes at her mentor's dramatic ways, but sat down and started to stuff herself. Meanwhile, Arginett started to introduce Lilka to Cecelia. "I met Lilka outside of Gondor. Her people, called Valkyrie's, are always trying to kidnap my foster family, and so I'd repeatedly have to explain to them why they couldn't take my foster father. Eventually, they just attacked us." Lilka took over here, "Some of my people were against attacking such a formidable army, but the higher-ups were adamant; they wanted Arginett's family, and they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer." Arginett regained control of the story, distractedly doodling on the make-shift table with her knife, "I managed to… kill most of the important Valkyries, but I wasn't even close to done with my training, and they soon overran me." She paused, and nodded, "Then Lilka did the last thing anyone expected –including her- and killed the Valkyries leader. That caused the ancient laws to be enacted. The laws state that whoever destroys the leader of a Valkyrie clan gains immediate and total control of the clan. Lilka was then the leader, and she 'decreed' that they were to stop attacking us." Lilka took over once more, "I spoke with Arginett and Steve, her foster father, about the incident, and we agreed on a treaty. I had been extremely impressed with Arginett's skills- even though she was still only partially done with her training- and so I asked to join her. We've been partners ever since." Arginett smiled "That we have, Lilka." Suddenly, out of the blue, a small, blurry, purple thing hurled into Arginett, who screamed bloody murder at the top of her voice. After Lilka managed to pull the thing off of Arginett, the said mentor curled up into a fetal position, whimpering. Cecelia knelt next to her, concerned; her mentor had barely blinked when talking about being overrun by a horde of evil Valkyries, but was cowering in fear because of the small bundle that Lilka now held restrained. However, her spasmodic teacher soon regained her composure, and sat up, "What the hell is that doing here?" Cecelia looked to the mysterious thing, and squealed in delight when she saw that it was a baby dragon. "Ohmygodit'?" Arginett groaned, while managing to still look at the dragon as if it were her only problem in life. "No. We are not keeping that disgusting thing anywhere near us." Cece then set about to wheedle her teacher into letting her have the dragon, until Arginett just screamed, "Fine! Keep the damn thing! See if I care! Or, better yet, don't!" She disappeared with a 'Crack!' and Lilka was left with a struggling baby dragon and a gaping Cecelia.

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Cecelia; She just up and left!

Steve; She did indeed… where did she go?

Lilka; Hey, guys… you remember that she can teleport, right?

Cecelia & Steve; …. Of course!

EmpressArginett; Yay, it's done!

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	4. How Do You Spell 'Distraction'?

I DON'T OWN LOTR, CECELIA, OMRI, LUNATIA, OR ANY OTHER SHOW/STORY/MOVIE REFERENCES IN THIS STORY!

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Legolas; Where is Arginett?

Lilka; She left, and now Cecelia's more than a little depressed.

Cecelia; I don't know what happened!

EmpressArginett; Anyway, Enjoy!

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Last Chapter;

Arginett disappeared with a loud 'Crack!', leaving Lilka with a struggling baby dragon and a gaping Cecelia.

"Now you've done it, Cece. Now you won't see her for a while, and I'll have to take you to see her friends instead." Cecelia was still in shock. She didn't understand why Arginett had left so suddenly, and she was still wondering about this when Lilka packed up the camp and readied the horses for the rest of the trip. She shook herself out of her stupor when she felt Lilka's hand on her shoulder. "Where are we going?" Lilka's face was grim, "Arginett, you, and me were supposed to go and meet Omri and Lunatia today, but since you sent her off, we'll just have to continue our journey without her. Now here, take this thing. You might as well take good care of it, since it seems to have taken Arginett's place in our party." Cecelia felt a painful twinge in her chest each time Lilka reminded her, but she put on a brave face and, as they began their journey once more on the backs of their horses, asked Lilka to tell her about Arginett's friends.

"Well, Lunatia is a Child of Luna-"

"She's a werewolf?"

Lilka frowned, and Cecelia shut her mouth. "No; she's not a werewolf, she's a Child of Luna, not Lupa. She is a human who takes strength and power from the moon. Her sister is a child of Ra, the sun god. She is more of a night owl, and she has more power in the shadows. She's more of a sidekick, but she's loyal and kind and she'll do anything for those who need help. Omri, on the other hand, is a little bit of a loner, but she's just as loyal to her friends. She is a rare strain of elf. Her parents were two aspen trees, whose branches entwined and together bore a single acorn, which, when it hit the ground, split open to reveal Omri. It's her house that we're going to go meet them at. She has a bit of an obsession with trees, since she lives in one. Both Omri and Lunatia are great friends, who Arginett happened upon when she was on her first journey. They helped her and Aragorn, the great king, to win a few battles so far, and now we are all joining together to defeat Sauron once and for all." She said that last sentence with such conviction that Cecelia found herself nodding. When she realized that Lilka had started talking again she stopped nodding and looked towards the Valkyrie obediently.

"Since you're new to our little clan, I might as well fill you in on the way things work; basically, the amount of authority and leadership you can get away with is based on how powerful you are. Naturally, Arginett is the undisputed leader, but of course she doesn't agree, and keeps saying that she is just our professional instigator. Next is me; I've been training next to Arginett since I met her, and so I can hold my own ground in a fight with her for slightly longer than most. Then there's Omri, who is powerful in the arts of healing, tracking, and white magic. She's less of a fighter and more of a diplomatic warrior. After Omri is Lunatia, who is okay is mostly everything, but she excels in dagger combat. She is the one who keeps us in good spirits whenever we are all glum, and she is our professional morale support, as well as being the most reliable in a fight. Now that you've joined, you'll be the last; once you train a little more under Arginett, you'll get some more skills and abilities, but for now you just sit and watch, learning about battle and stuff. Got all that?" Cecelia nodded, and received a smile from Lilka. As silence reigned over their steady pace, Cecelia took some time to enjoy the scenery.

They were riding down a well-worn path, through grasslands that reached as far as the eye could see. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, and the sun was less harsh than you would expect in the middle of the summer. Every so often there would be a small pond or lake off the side of the road, some with houses- seemingly abandoned- alongside them. There was a picket fence that stopped and started, as if someone had started to set it up or take it down, but had abandoned the project halfway through. Cecelia thought back to one of the maps she had spotted as she had explored Arginett's house; there was a small area to the west of Gondor, which had been labeled, 'Here Be Dragons'. With a start, she recalled the small dragon that had driven her mentor to stomping off. Cecelia turned to Lilka, and asked where the small thing was. Lilka slowed down her horse and maneuvered it so that they were side by side, "Here; you should probably name it, so you can have something to call it." Cecelia nodded as she took the snoring bundle from her. "I think I'll name it… Betsy. Or maybe Arginett!" She added, as a joke, but she became serious when she saw the disapproving look on Lilka's face. "What? And while we're speaking about the dragon, why did Arginett throw such a hissy fit when it hit her?" Lilka paled, "Arginett, though she is virtually indestructible, had a… traumatic experience with dragons at quite a young age. She has, over time, developed a strong phobia of them. When you defended a dragon, one that had attacked her, no less, she probably needed to cool down, lest she feel the urge to hurt you. You are her first apprentice, and she has a strange protectiveness with children, probably because she has no need to protect her own." Cecelia gasped, 'Arginett has kids?' When Lilka nodded in agreement, she realized that she had spoken out loud. "Yes, and she's coming up behind us now." Cecelia gasped then she turned to find a miniature Arginett riding up behind them. When she reached the two travelers, she smiled, "Hello Lilka. And you must be Cecelia?" She asked, turning to Cece. The said teenager nodded, "And you're Arginett's daughter?" The young woman's smile faltered, "Yes. But my slightly psychotic mother doesn't seem to be with you at the moment. And I presume that this is the reason?" Cecelia followed the woman's eyes to find Betsy sitting on her horses head. She nodded sadly, "She left this morning. What's your name?" She caught the young lady off guard with her sudden question. "My name is Margeret," she turned to Lilka, "We'll be entering the forest soon, and then I'll lead you to Omri's tree." They traveled on in silence, although Cecelia was bursting with questions. She wanted to know what kind of mother Arginett was, as well as how many siblings Margeret had, but soon they were all shoved to the back of her mind when they entered a drastically different land-scape. There were trees everywhere, though spaced apart; it wasn't too dense of a forest, but the trees seemed to be mature and old. Cecelia looked around as she heard the sound of running water, and she saw that they were riding alongside a gently flowing river. Up ahead, there was a large, wide tree; bigger than any she had ever seen before. Although that wasn't saying much, since she hadn't been outside of Gondor in her whole life. The tree was around ten meters wide all around, and was the tallest tree in the area. There was a strange rune carved into the base, and Cecelia watched in wonder as Margeret walked up to it, placing her hand on the engraving.

"Omri, we've arrived." A voice that was calming and yet menacing at the same time emanated from the tree, biding them welcome. The entire front of the tree swung open, to reveal a small living area, containing two women who seemed to be in their early twenties. As they tied up their horses outside and entered the cozy dwelling, Cecelia tried to discern who Omri was, and who Lunatia was. She decided that since she had heard that Lunatia was a child of Luna, that the one that stayed in the darkened part of the room and "hello'ed" in a dark yet cheerful voice was her. That meant Omri was that tall, serious looking woman who smiled thinly at her when she was caught staring around the house. As they sat down to make introductions, a loud pounding came echoing through the tree.

"Omri! OMRI! The horde is attacking the nearest village! The villagers need help!" Cecelia blanched as Omri, Lilka, and Lunatia shot from their seats, grabbed their weapons, and opened the door, revealing a small, grotesque man. As Cece realized that there was a person who existed who was smaller than her, she listened to the conversation happening between the 4 adults.

"I thought that they were aware that that village is under the protection of the rangers?" Omri said to the man, who grimaced, "They do, but someone said that the Ranger Girl had disappeared, and now they think that you will be too weak to fight them." Lunatia snorted, "We were fighting well enough without Arginett, but as soon as she makes her reputation, theres not respect." The man shot her a look, "This is serious, Lady Lunatia; they plan to decimate the village." Lilka smiled, "Well then I guess we'll have to fight them without our leader, now won't we?"

Omri PoV

The kid was visibly paling as she realized that we were going to fight an entire army. She obviously hadn't even seen Arginett fight, if she thought that people who fought next to her would be that incompetent. But our chances would undoubtedly have been better with our leader, no matter how good we were without her .I'm sure that the orc population in the world was dropping, thanks to how pissed off Arginett would have to be to leave her new apprentice alone. If only she was here, she would make short work of the horde that threatened the village. But she had left, and we now had to protect it. I got the still-frozen Cecelia onto her horse, got onto Xara, and directed the group as fast as I could towards the village.

Once we got there, we found that the orcs were having some fun before they destroyed the villagers. They were in a large group, standing outside the village boundaries, laughing at the horrified screams and shouts coming from inside the village. We rode in front of the laughing horde and Lunatia, Lilka, and I jumped off of our horses to face them.

"You dare to attack a village that is under the protection of the Rangers?" Lilka's voice was cold and demanding. The orc general stopped laughing, and turned to our temporary leader.

"The rangers abandoned these people, and now they are free game. You have no say in this matter, Valkyrie." He sneered at her. Big mistake. You never, ever sneer at Lilka. There are horrendous consequences. For the moment, she just glared at him, making him uncomfortable. Some of the more superstitious people think that Valkyries can choose who dies and loses in a battle. That's not specifically true, as they can only guide dead soldiers to the real of the spirits, but it usually gives us an edge in battle. However, this time they were determined to win, and I could practically hear Cecelia shaking.

Normal PoV

Cece gripped her small dagger tightly as the horde shouted out their bone-shilling battle cry. She proudly stood her ground as the orcs came charging down the ill. Just as she was about to leap forwards and thrust her dagger into the nearest enemy, a blur of black and brown hurtled past her, slamming into the enemy army with the force of an olyphant. As the front line of the horde died instantly, the rest charged towards the perpetrator in rage. Meanwhile, Omri and Lunatia started to herd the villagers away from their homes, taking them in the forest, away from the battle. Lilka ran to help their mysterious savior, quickly downing a few orcs in a short amount of time. Cecelia noticed this all from the corner of her eye, as her attention was purely focused on the blurred figure. It was darting back and forth across the fields, completely destroying the army. She just stood, utterly go-smacked, as –together with the help of the blur- the ranger's team defeated the orc horde. As she marveled, Cecelia suddenly realized that the battle had ended, with the rangers as the victors. She ran up to the blur, waiting to thank them and ask who they were, when it turned to her, and suddenly came into focus.

"Arginett! You're back!" Arginett ignored her, "Lunatia, are all of the villagers safe?" Cecelia whirled around to see that the two rangers had returned with the villagers, but turned back when Arginett spoke again. "Margeret, do you have any idea how those orcs knew I wasn't here?" Cecelia frowned; she had just realized that Margeret had disappeared when the strange man had warned them. Her face brightened when the realization hit her; Margeret had gone to fetch Arginett to help them.

"No. I only received the news today. It's something to think over." Arginett nodded, "But not right now,"

Arginett looked at Cecelia, "Right now we need Lunatia to teach Cecelia more with close-range dagger fighting while the rest of us make plans and such. Agreed?" everyone nodded. She smiled, "Well, now that I'm back, I can tell you what I learned while away; the rangers have been invited to the Council of Elrond." Everyone but Cecelia gasped.

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Arginett: I'm home! Sort of!

Lilka: Oh, joy.

Arginett: Don't sass me, woman.

Aragorn: Review please!

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	5. It's Spelled 'C-E-C-E-L-I-A'

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING OTHER THAN MY OCs LILKA AND ARGINETT!

Arginett: *looks around* Where's Gandalf?

EmpressArginett: …. Not here at the moment.

Arginett: I know that. Where is he?

Cecelia: Just start the story already!

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Last Chapter;

"The rangers have been invited to the council of Elrond." Everyone except Cecelia gasped.

Now;

"The council of Elrond? We were banned from that year ago!" Lunatia shouted at Arginett, who glared at her.

"Yes; I know. I was there, remember?" Lunatia blushed, nodding. "Gandalf talked with Elrond, and now that my services are needed, they have decided to be nice to us. And it's a good timing, since I still need to introduce Cecelia to everybody. They are all so easily entertained, it's pathetic." She then dismissed all of them to go do as they pleased until she called for them. Cecelia went to go explore the village with Margeret, while Lunatia and Lilka started to spar in the clearing. Omri and Arginett started going over the plans for the trip to the council and what they thought would go on afterward

Arginett PoV;

I had used the dragon's arrival as an excuse to leave- not abandon- my apprentice with Lilka. I needed to talk to Gandalf about the curriculum of a magic apprentice, as well as that of the normal apprentice. I teleported to Gandalf's wagon, and when he saw me, I hugged him; "Where are we?" I have this strange sixth sense that lets me know where everyone I am overly familiar with- that is not an innuendo, I mean people I spend a lot of time with- is at all times. That meant that I can teleport to where they are, but I usually don't know where it is. Does that make sense? Well, anyhow, Gandalf pretty much ruined my already peachy mood with his answer, "Im going to go help set up and prepare the council of Elrond." I scowled at him; my team had been banned from the council of Elrond three years ago (at that time) because of a fight that –believe it or not- Lunatia started. It was a spat over the rights of those with galactic lineage, such as children of Luna. She ended up yelling at Elrond himself, calling him things that are not lightly mentioned in public. (Such as a boil on the rear end of the world, in not as nice terms)I asked him about the apprentice thing I mentioned earlier, and we spent quite a while talking about the subject. Apparently, there is a lot more about apprentices than I thought there was. I wonder how Gandalf ever accomplished it./1/ Once he had supplied me with enough information- did you know that if a magic apprentice surpasses their mentor within the first year of their contract, they are required by law to get a higher ranked teacher? Cool, huh- he gave me the opportunity to practice my bragging rights on him. Although you may not see it, Cecelia is quite the specimen; she has the strength, endurance, and overall potential to become worthy of my little gang. Right now, she's just an honorary member, but I have the feeling that she'll grow a lot over the time I'll know her. Of course, she does have some flaws, as I told Gandalf, such as her infuriating curiosity and her ability to be infernally slow on the pick-up. After I told him almost everything about her-except for the color of her underpants, which I don't know myself- he started as if he had just remembered something. "Arginett, I forgot to tell you, but Elrond has invited your clan to rejoin the council, and you are allowed to come to the meeting this week." He smiled at me, completely ignorant to the fact that he had not remembered this until three hours into our conversation. I was peeved, to say the least, and I promptly told him so. Once I had calmed down, I asked him who all I could bring. He told me that Elrond had invited me, Lunatia, Omri, Lilka, Cecelia, and my husband, who I would have to pick up from where he was staying. I realized absentmindedly- I'm absentminded a lot, just so you know- that my husband, Logan, hadn't met my apprentice yet. Then I realized with less of an absent mind that he would probably scare the *$% out of her, so I would have to somehow remedy that. I turned to Gandalf, who had waited patiently through my space-out, and said, "You know he doesn't like you- Logan doesn't, and yet you still find every way to antagonize him whenever you see him. I don't get why." He grinned like the little imp that he is, "Because it's so much fun!" All of a sudden, Margeret appeared in front of the wagon. Now, the problem with this is, when I randomly appear, people don't even blink, but when Margeret pops up, they have a coronary. Anyhow, she walked up to me quickly and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world- which now that I think of it, it really has become a thing that happens quite often- "Cecelia's in grave danger." I jumped to my feet and teleported to the valley-dwellers' village. I saw the horde, and everyone-including Cecelia- tensing up for the wave, and before I even though about it, launched myself at the orcs. But, you already know what happened next, so I don't need to tell you, do I?

After Cecelia ended up having lunch with one of the villagers and heard Arginett yelling, she followed Lunatia to find her rather zany mentor. When they stepped into the clearing, Cecelia was greeted with a dagger flying toward her, with Lunatia made no move to block. Cecelia braced herself for impact, and was pretty surprised when the dagger's hilt hit her in the stomach; Arginett had thrown it backwards. She glared at her mentor, who was trying and failing to contain her laughter. Fortunately, her laughter was highly contagious, and soon everyone in the clearing was giggling. Once Arginett calmed down and the rest of them recovered their composure, Arginett explained her actions, "I just wanted to see how good your reflexes are." Cecelia raised her eyebrows, and Arginett grinned, "They stink. Lunatia, I'm going to ave you train her as often as possible. Start today, after giving her the basics spar with her a little bit. Okay?" Lunatia nodded, smiling. Over the next hour, Lunatia tutored Cecelia on the more basic techniques used with a dagger, as well as gave her tips of usage, maintenance, and practice. She was given the homework of finding the right materials for cleaning and creating daggers. After Cecelia thought her mind would burst from all the information she was getting, Arginett called a stop. While Cecelia had been learning the art of daggery, Lilka, Arginett, and Omri had been playing catch.

Arginett walked over to Cecelia and Lunatia. "Now that you've learned some of close combat, I'm going to get you started on my specialty," reached into her overcoat's pocket and pulled out a dagger, "throwing the knives." She made a motion with her wrist and the dagger flew into the air. As Cecelia looked around for it, a bird fell from the sky, speared through the heart. She gaped at her mentor, who looked like she was trying not to be smug- and failing miserably. As Cece peppered Arginett with questions, the teacher taught, and the student studied, for the next two hours. After Cecelia was done, and lay in a pile of sweating girl, some of the villagers came up the Arginett with food and equipment as thanks for protecting their home. Arginett took it all with a gentle smile, and she and Margeret spent the few remaining hours of the day sorting and packing all of the needed supplies for the trip. They had decided to meet Aragorn at his army's camp, and then ride with him to the council. After a while, they just started to talk, quickly becoming off task. When Arginett made a comment about Margeret's outfit, her daughter told her to go die in a hole. Arginett grinned, "Been there; done that. I got sent back,

Cuz heaven didn't want me-"

"And hell was too worried that you'd try to take over." Margeret interrupted, trying to offend her mother. Arginett just nodded, accepting the jibe as a compliment, leaving her daughter scowling.

Margeret PoV;

My mom was-is and always will be- insane. I know I say this every other second, but she was. She had gotten an apprentice, but she did like being a teacher; I don't count, as I'm her daughter, but in reality, I was her first apprentice. I have two grandfathers, but both are from my mom's side. I have no grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts, cousins, or anything else from my dad's side, but that's because I was conceived out of wedlock. I know who my 'sire' is, but he's not my dad. Logan's my dad, and no one else. See, my mom and sire had an awkward relationship, since his family didn't allow her species to marry theirs, and so they acted married while technically dating. They had a kid, me, but then they grew apart, and before you know it, my sire went and married someone else, leaving my mom- he's not a sleaze; he gives child support, even though mom doesn't need it, and he's nice to me. I just don't think of him as my dad, because he didn't raise me- and then she went and lived with Charles, who was an old friend of hers. He runs this big school-type thing, in a place that you can only get to if you know my mom. My mom reconnected with her old buddies, namely Logan, who had been rejected by this (cough-hair-dye-cough) red-headed psychic, and they started dating. After they realized that they weren't fooling anyone, whey got married and I was raised by them. They had a kid together, my little brother, named Bran, and now we're one big happy family. Logan still works for Charles, so he's away a lot, but we don't resent that; we're all perfectly content. Now that I've updated you on my life story, I shall tell you about current events. We are training that scrawny apprentice, and she shows promise in 'daggery' as my mom calls it. Mom will probably show her some of her own tricks, sot that she can adapt them and make them her own, and I'll help her however I can. Am I jealous that my mom protects her as if she were her own daughter? Of course not; she needs protection, and a parental guidance, even if it is my insane mother. If I seem at all distant towards her, it because the happy-enthusiastic-spaz genes jumped over me and into bran. I prefer not to show my emotions outwardly, as they are a hindrance in battle. No, I was not brainwashed by my mother, I thought of this all on my own, and I am not crazy. I need to stop now, or I'll be ranting on about it for a while. How about some more background information? No? Too bad, I'm gonna tell you anyways.

This is Margeret's Information Special;

My mom-as she's more interesting than I am, I shall tell you about her and her friends- met Lunatia and Omri when she was searching for Aragorn, after they had been separated for a long, long time. They had fought before -Mom and uncle Aragorn- but they had lost contact for a while. Anyways, she met them by coming upon Omri's tree and spotting Xara through Omri's window-yes, her tree has windows- after they established that she wasn't going to harm them or the valley-dwellers, they all became fast friends. This is just a preview for our illustrious Special, but next time, there will be information on Lunatia, the exotic humanoid life-form!

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After everyone calmed down, Cecelia started asking Arginett questions about Aragorn, the great king. She still hadn't heard or didn't listen, and so she had no clue that her mentor was the older sister of her hero. She practically drove Arginett into non-existence with her ramblings about how great her was, and soon even Lunatia admitted to herself that it was getting to be a bit much, so she not-so-subtly got Cecelia to shut up, and they all settled down for bed. They set up a bon-fire, with all of their bedrolls situated so that their heads were near the flames, while their feet faced the outside. All of them, that is, except for Arginett; she gave Cecelia a heart attack by walking into the fire, laying down, and smolderingly fell asleep.

Cecelia PoV

SHE JUST FLIPPING SAT IN THE FIRE! WHO DOES THAT WITHOUT WARNING PEOPLE? HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT SHE WAS IMMUNE TO IT? I NEARLY DIED, SEEING HER DO THAT! NO CONSIDERATION, NONE AT ALL!

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EmpressArginett; I've noticed how different the PoVs can sound in my head. i.e. Omri's PoV was formal and logical, like her-though nothing like the person who created her, who's is not me- and Cecelia's is emotional and somewhat clipped, like Maverick, but Arginett's is rambling, random, unfocused, and just plain wacky, because I based it off of my own everyday though process. That's why it's sort of difficult to write PoVs of someone who is nothing like you, because you have to portray their personality through their thoughts and opinions.

And then I think of Omri's creator, who, in this situation, would probably be saying,

"Waaaaffffllleess…I WANNA TACO!" D_D *gimme taco*

Instead of, "Let this be a warning to those who would harm the innocent in their greed." _ *glare*

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/1/- Arginett was Gandalf's apprentice for a long, long part of her life. He taught her all the magic that she knows, except for that which she made up herself. She learned all other things from Steve, her foster father.

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IM SORRY; I know that I jacked up the story pretty badly with the first two chapters; I would take them down, but then I would have no way to explain the events before these!

IM SOO SOOOOO SOOOOOOOO SORRY!

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Review Plz!


	6. I Never Named This Chapter

I OWN NAUGHT!

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Arginett: And here comes the… sixth? Chapter!

EmpressArginett; for those of you who have actually found the interest to read this far into my story, I thank you! I shall be inserting quite a few characters into the story now, some of them OCs, and some of them canon. I hope you enjoy the newest installment of

"Arginett; Your Friendly Neighborhood Mercenary!"

Arginett: hey, that's me!1^^^

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Aragorn PoV;

I can't say I was thrilled when I heard that the rangers had been invited back into the council of Elrond. I was happy to have and excuse to finally meet my sister's apprentice, but the rangers are… obnoxious. I wasn't too worried; I was more troubled by the fact that Arginett had sent me a warning. Not a thread, but a letter telling me to 'be wary of Cecelia'. I was puzzled, but not too focused on the note. I knew that she couldn't be dangerous- not in the physical way that Arginett id, at least. I was more focused on the rest of the note, which mentioned the person she had sent it with; Logan. Arginett had dropped him off here at my camp with the note she had given him so that… I'm not sure why, actually. When it comes to my older sister, I'm never sure.

The only problems I have with Arginett's husband is that he has an unnatural healing power that enables him to hold down unreasonable amounts of wine without even getting the slightest bit tipsy. Thus, drinking contests between him and Gimli are rapidly depleting our beer supply. While I was despairing over this, I heard a knock on the wooden pole above my tent's door. Speak of the devil; Logan had come into my tent. Although he is almost a head shorter than I am, it always feels like I'm looking up to him. He radiates the same old, wise aura that mu sister does, but not as much of the dangerous aura. He is a formidable opponent;, and I doubt even I could take him in a fight- though the fact that Arginett can beat him in two seconds flat if she needs to doesn't bolster my ego all the much.

"Do you need something, Logan?" I queried. He grinned, which is always disconcerting, "Etta and her friends have arrived." I was confused, but then a foot soldier- Andy! That was his name- "My king, the rangers are within five minutes of arriving." I looked at Logan, who smiled and tapped his nose; I should have known that he would have smelled them coming before we even saw them. His nose is another thing that is ridiculously well developed. I wonder if ill survive this encounter with my sister; I never know which will be my last, even if Margeret is there to mellow Arginett down.

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Normal PoV;

After Logan told Aragorn about Arginett's arrival, he went to the front of the camp to wait for them. When they slowly entered to camp, his wife was having a loud argument with Lunatia.

"But he's so infuriating! How can anyone act so pompous without being struck by the horrible vengeance of the mighty karma?" Arginett sighed, "I don't know, Tia; I've always managed to do it. We have to go, as I'd like to know what's happening in the world, as well as insert my opinion into the decisions. Just ignore the guy, and maybe he won't bug you."

Lunatia realized that there was no point in arguing with Arginett, so she decided to ride ahead with Omri and pout. When she saw Legolas stepping out of his tent, her face brightened up considerably and, once she dismounted, she ran over and hug-tackled him. When Arginett groaned at her 'childish' behavior, Lunatia stuck her tongue out at her, and she started talking to Legolas.

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Cecelia PoV;

When I saw Lunatia run up and glomp the elf-guy, I was about ready to run over to a bush and throw up. I was very pleased that Arginett didn't do stuff like that; I couldn't bear the embarrassment if she did. But, as fate hates me, she leaped off of her horse and glomped a small dude standing in the front of the camp. That's when I went and threw up In a bush. Once I sorted myself out, I walked over to Margeret and asked her about the ridiculous women.

"Lunatia is married to the man she's talking to; Legolas." She sort of spat the name at me, and I subtly wiped my face as she continued in a nicer tone, "And my Mother is hugging Logan, her husband." I noticed that she didn't call 'Logan' her dad, but I decided to ask Omri later' Omri is pretty much the only one here without mental issues. Then a guy that I had thought I would never see again walked over to Arginett and Logan.

"What are you doing here!"

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Arginett PoV;

I looked from Cecelia to Aragorn, who happened to be the one she was yelling at. He was staring back at my student with horror. I giggled, "You two know each other?" As soon as I stopped talking, their looks of shock turned to glares.

"He tried to put me in jail!"

Aragorn got that indignant look of his-I see it quite often, you know- and narrowed his eyes at her. "She threw a rock at my head!" As Cece spluttered, the rest of us were looking on in amusement.

*Flashback*

"Mister, watch out" a young Cecelia shouted to a man in the market. One of the nastier thieves in the district was sneaking behind him. As the man she had yelled at looked around for the source of the warning, she picked up a stone and hurled it at the mugger. It went wide, rebounded off of the man who she was trying to protect, and hit her original target. Both fell to the ground, clutching their foreheads. The victim got up quickly, and walked over to her. "Young lady, I have half a mind to get you arrested for assaulting me." She tried to explain, but when he wouldn't listen, she scampered off into the shadows.

*end flashback*

I started laughing as soon as the story was finished, and soon both Aragorn and Cecelia started to glare at me, instead of each other. But then I realized something, "Hey, Ar?" I asked innocently.

He Nodded, "What, Etta?"

"Is that how you got that scar on your forehead?" He paled, realizing what that meant. He nodded again, "Yes. I'm sorry?" He said, pretty pathetically. I growled, stepped forward, and then dragged him off to the edge of the camp, preparing to give him an earful.

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Cecelia PoV;

After Arginett dragged the guy off, I went to her friends for an explanation, and this is what I got;

"Well, the guy you were just yelling at is Arginett's younger brother, and the true heir or Gondor." After they got me to calm down and stop squealing, they continued. "He came back to her mansion one day with his forehead all bloody, and he told her a tale of chivalrous adventures that he had had, giving him a small head injury. She just sent him off when she had finished cleaning his head up, and he went to everyone he knows, telling them that he had gotten the scar in a fight with his sister, that he claimed to have won. Of course, Arginett disproved that story, but he was pretty smug for the whole time he had the story circulating and believed. Arginett is most likely telling him off and smacking him repeatedly, and then she'll come back to introduce you to him.

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Aragorn PoV;

I was angry with Arginett for no telling me who her apprentice was, but I still owed her some reprieve from my badgering because of the incident, so I'll leave her alone for now.

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Margeret PoV;

After we arrived in the camp, we had virtually nothing to do until the council meeting, and that isn't until the end of the week. I've been tutoring mom's apprentice in the more academic art of languages. My mother doesn't know too many of the mythical languages-she focused more on the language of animals and beasts- so she asked me to teach Cecelia Elvish, dwarves, and Entish. The last on- Entish- is really not required, bit I get the feeling that my mom wants us to be occupied while she goes around gathering her 'army'. She won't tell me what this army is, but she claims that it will ensure our survival in the war she feels is coming. Anyway, almost every day she has come up to me and asked me to tutor Cecelia for a while, and when I answer with a yes or a nod of my head, she'll disappear foe a few hours, while I attempt to teach Cecelia the language of the elves. She's rather horrible at it. Actually, I could go up to her and say "You have a watermelon in your pants" and she'd reply with, "no thanks; I don't like dolphin meat." It's really pathetic, but the girl is quite amusing in some random ways. I head her asking Omri why I did not like Legolas, and so when Omri decided not to tell her, I did.

Oh, dear readers, I forgot to tell you all; Legolas is the man I refer to as 'my sire.' Because Lunatia and Legolas are more acceptable as husband and wife, they were allowed to get married. Anyway, when I told Cecelia that Logan wasn't my real father she nodded- as if she had already known. She's mush more observant than you would think. On another note, one of my life's goals has been reached- I have found someone that eats more that my mother. It's amazing how much she eats without growing at all. Speaking of tutoring, Cecelia is still working with Lunatia on her daggery, and she's progressing fast. The only problem is that Cecelia isn't strong enough to hold even the lightest sword, so she has to work with a dagger until she is. She isn't going to start magic until my mother deems her ready, and that won't be for a while yet. At the moment, she's stuck with learning history and basics. As I was trying to get her to pronounce 'balrog' correctly- she just can't get it- a loud, shrieking cry echoed through the air. As I looked up, I say what my mother had been doing for the past few days.

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EmpressArginett; Tada! Not that long of a chapter, but I had to cut it off or it would be way longer. Next chapter, we see what 'army' Arginett's been gathering for the past few days. What could it be? Mysterious, huh? Right. I want to have a Logan PoV, but I just can't get into the mood for his speech patterns or dry wit, and so I have to do without.

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Review Plz!


	7. Important Information Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This whole fic already reads more like an outline, so that explains why I didn't think twice about throwing in a chapter that's literally just someone listing off facts about the universe.

Margeret: A whole chapter to myself! I feel so loved!

Arginett: Did you eat sugar?

Margeret: *shoves her mother out the door* A chapter to myself means that you are not here!

EmpressArginett: It also means that it will be very, VERY short and boring, but who doesn't like that?

Margeret: *glare*

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Welcome to this installment of

Margeret's Information Special!

Arginett;

My mother was lost by her family when she was 4 years old. She had been hunting with her father, when they were ambushed by a horde of Urak-Hai. Her father was killed, and she was unable to get off of her horse until she was a long while away from the scene. She was found deserted in the mountains by Steve, who raised her as if she were his daughter. As well as raising her with the morals of a ruler, he trained her in weaponry, languages, history, politics and everything else. They became extremely close, with Steve becoming Arginett's father, and her becoming his child. When Arginett's 16th birthday came, she asked to be Gandalf's apprentice. She had been almost as close with Gandalf as she was with Steve, and so the two adopted fathers decided to grant her wish. Gandalf taught Arginett everything he knew, and she soon surpassed him, becoming a 'white' wizard, a rank above Gandalf's 'gray'.

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Omri;

Omri was born at the same time that the last of her race died. There is only ever one of them alive at once, and so she was raised by a normal family of elves. She studied in history, tracking, hunting, healing, and archery. She is more comfortable in the night, and she has the amazing ability to bring someone to life, but only once per person. She can even bring ghosts to life, if they so wish it. This ability gives her an innate understanding of life, death, and it makes her pretty depressing. She is only a few years younger than Arginett, and is around 89 years of age. Her race of elf is practically immortal. However, if another of their kind happens to be born, she will die.

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Lunatia;

Lunatia was not born naturally. Her parents had a child, a girl, who was stolen by Ra, the sun. Luna, the moon, was infuriated, but when she could not convince her husband to return their child, she gave them another. This child was a lunar ecliptic; gifted with the powers of the moon and the stars. She is the most powerful type of galactic child, and she is a warrior of the highest caliber. She is only allowed to see her sister, Siery, when there is an eclipse of the sun and the moon. Lunatia is gifted in dagger and close-range fighting, as well as tracking and annihilating the enemy in the shadows.

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Snowbeard;

Snowbeard hasn't been introduced yet. She is Gimli's sister, and she is his kin in every way. Snowbeard has all of the regular traits of dwarves, but has been good friends with Arginett for years. She has a cold, and so is in the infirmary tent of the camp. She will be entering the story soon.

And that's all for this installment of

Margeret's Information Special!

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EmpressArginett: See? Short and boring. Just like Margeret.

Margeret: Hey! Im standing right here, you know.

EmpressArginett: Yes, I know that sweetie. Hush now.

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Sorry! I just wanted you all to know more about the characters in the story. I have to let you all know the awesomeness that is the OCs from my pals.

LT owns-Lunatia

MK- Omri

BA- Snowbeard

Maverick- Cecelia

EA- Arginett, Lilka, Steve, Steve, Dimgollach, Maccus, Barry, OfficerAngus, and many more!


	8. The "Re-Write"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Original Chapter Title "We're Not Dead Yet!"

Arginett; Your Friendly Neighborhood Mercenary

Chapter 1

Credit for Cecelia goes to my friend Maverick!

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Arginett: Here's chapter 1!

Aragorn: How do you have this much energy after almost losing an arm?

Arginett: It's all about practice, my brother!

Cecelia: Well, at least they can read it now.

Arginett: Oh, yeah! Enjoy!

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You see, all of the horribly random stuff that has happened to me for that last few years I solely blame on a little pickpocket named Cecelia. She irks me, but I love her anyways. You see, we met in the district market of Gondor, where I happened to be buying some new daggers from my favorite vendor, when I felt someone behind me. I half-turned, but stopped when I felt a hand in the bag on my hip. I then whirled around, slamming the bag that I had into their head. They flew backwards a few hundred feet, and then hit a stone wall with a considerable amount of force. I was content, but then I realized that I had just bashed a small girl into oblivion. I groaned and ran over to her. She was dazedly looking around, as she had slumped against the wall, and had a bemused expression on her face. I knelt next to her, and looked her over for injuries. I decided to get some information out of her before she got her senses back, and asked her what her name was.

"Cecelia…"she slurred her words, indicating a slight concussion, and then she then muttered something about narwhals, but I ignored it.

"My name is Arginett. You just stuck your hand in my pocket. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume that you were not intending to steal what was in that pocket- which happens to be a bunch of staples- and say you had more innocent intentions." Yes, it might sound like I'm rambling, but I really do talk that much; my friends say I like hearing my own voice too much, and it's pretty much true. She looked at me like she already knew my reputation- usually you would say 'like I had a screw loose', but since that is my reputation, I'll just stick with it- and shrugged.

"Nope, I was trying to take your money, or something I could sell." I laughed; honesty is something I like in a teenager, even if they are pains.

"Well, since those staples are worth nothing and would only give you a cut up hand that was pretty stupid." She shrugged again, and I lost the act of 'somewhat nice person'.

"Well, you're obviously either stupid or ignorant; which is it?" She scowled,

"Neither; though some would argue that point. They would argue vehemently." I grinned; she was getting on my good side, however odd that may seem. She was still out of it, and I mulled over what I had so far observed;

She was around 13, with short, blond hair, and she dressed like a wannabe rebel. I know what rebel looks like, since that's how I dress all the time, and she was not it. With ragged, small, black clothes, and leather boots, she was that kind of person who tried to look cool to draw attention away from something else. Probably her height, since I was about two heads taller than her. I told her that I was going to kidnap her, as I was in need of a small, young girl-don't get the wrong idea, you sicko's-, and that was when she started to look scared. I'm guessing normal people don't announce that they are going to kidnap you, but you can guess that I'm not normal.

Cece PoV;

The woman was crazy. That much was sure. I looked her over as she ought her stuff, and what I saw furthered my conviction; she was wearing leather, with lace up boots, a cloak, and four different hand-bags. All of this was leather. She looked like a monster. There was a dangerous-looking sword on her right hip, and her hair was ridiculously long, with colorful feathers and beads thrown in at random. As I looked closer, I saw a bright, beautiful tattoo of a flaming bird- a phoenix, I remembered they were called- on her neck and, though I couldn't see it, I figured it continued down her back. She had a series of scars running over her arms, which, I realized, were bulging with compacted muscles. She could probably throw me across the city if she wanted to. I remembered; she just had. Then she poked me, and I realized she was waiting for an answer to a question that I had thought was rhetorical. I shook my head, "No; neither. Though some would argue at that point. They would argue vehemently." I nearly had a heart-attack as the features of her face suddenly changed into that of a much younger person that I had thought she was; even the color of her eyes had changed.

Arginett PoV;

When I got the girl –'Cece; I must remember to call her Cece'- to stand up, I grabbed her arm and started walking her to my house. We passed the poorer districts quickly, trying to avoid the ruffians who always tried to avoid me. I think I scare them. When we got to the nicer district, I slowed her down, now doing more of a stroll than a brisk pace.

Cecelia PoV;

The woman- 'Arginett'- was taking me to her house, I think; or maybe her lair. I was wary of her strength; usually I can take more than a few hits before I'm beat, so I let her take me where she wanted. Once she slowed down enough so that I could see the houses and shops we were passing, I started to analyze her once more.

Her eyes were green now, and they looked natural on her, for some reason. They say that eyes are the pathway to the soul, and I could tell that whoever said that was probably stupid, and had not made that remark while looking at this woman. Her eyes were dark and aware, taking in everything at a single glance, yet at the same time still full of happiness and enthusiasm. She was guarding a secret though; that much I could tell. We walked for a long time, until we reached the rich, snobby district. 'She's probably a mercenary, who is taking me to her victim's house as a distraction' I would later learn that some of that statement was true, yet none of it was logical. As we passed by more houses, the road got cleaner and more level, while the surroundings got fancier and more... quaint. 'This target of hers must be pretty important, to live this deep in the poshy-town.' I was inwardly horrified as people saw us through their windows, and the went on the slam the shut in fear. I looked towards the woman; she was ignoring everything, simply walking forwards. Then the street ended abruptly; it was like they had just stopped expanding. I looked up and gasped; we were standing in front of the biggest house I had ever seen- it was more a mansion. It seemed to be about a mile wide, and half a mile high. There were turrets and gargoyles posted next to each window, which were spaced around two meters apart, all along the upper floor's perimeter. From what I could see, it was made entirely out of stone, and there was a large, menacing gate directly in front of us, blocking our entrance. I was horrified; this could have been the great king's summer home! And she was going to break into it!

I gathered up all the strength that I owned and pulled my wrist out of her grasp. She turned to look at me as I began yelling at her.

"I will not help you murder the owner of that house! What kind of insane retard are you to even consider entering it?! And trying to use me as a distraction! What are you thinking, you idiot woman?" I bellowed at her. I stood there, fuming, until I heard a small choking noise coming from the wacko's direction.

She was laughing.

Arginett PoV;

She thought that I was a mercenary, going to kill the owner of the mansion? I tried, really I did; but I just couldn't hold in the laughs.

I was almost in tears from the hilarity of the situation. After I finally composed myself, I explained everything.

Cece PoV;

"This is my house, shrimp. And since I have no interest in killing myself, you have no need to help me. As for what I'm thinking, I'm thinking that you are very strange, and I'm trying to remember what we have in the cold storage, since I

have to prepare dinner." I stared at her. I couldn't help it; it was ridiculous. How could someone like her own a house like this? It was outrageous. I was utterly stupefied, and yet at the same time, unsurprised. Hell, I don't know what I was; if you had said I was a hamster at the time, I probably would've believed you.

Arginett PoV;

I laughed at the expressions –and there were many- on her face, and then I opened the gate, and led her inside. The main hall, which is most of the house, was well-furnished, with red carpets and leather couches, all soft and insanely comfortable. I gestured to the room in general, "Explore, if you want to. Don't try to escape, because I'm leaving the front door unlocked and the gate open. Just leave, if that suits your fancy. If you want to know why I brought you here, then stay until dinner." She looked at me and nodded, "What will you be doing in the time until then?" I smiled, "I'm going on a trip tomorrow, so I'll be packing up." I left her to her own devices, and wandered, grabbing whatever I'd need if I saw it, promising myself I'd look for it later if I didn't.

Cece PoV;

After she left the room through one of the corridors, I had a little internal debate. I knew that whenever a rich person was interested in someone, money was usually involved, and I was in need of money. However, the fact that she was crazy made up nearly my whole 'con' argument. How do you trust someone who is completely out of their mind? You don't, if you have sanity yourself. I meandered over to one of the couches that was directly in front of the fire, and sat down. I gasped; it was the most comfortable couch I'd ever sat on! I moved, squirmed, and floundered in all possible ways, but there was no

denying it; the couch was heaven. Soon my eyes grew tired, and I decided to get up before I fell asleep on the couch. I walked into the first door on the left of the couch, and found myself looking at the biggest collection of weapons I think exists.

Arginett PoV;

After I finished packing, I went to check on Cece. I found her in my weapons room, ogling the extensive room that contained row upon row of my favorite thing: objects used to maim people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a sadistic creeper who takes pleasure in killing or hurting people, I just like practicing and excelling at any weapon there is. She turned and saw me, "Do you use all of these?" I nodded, "Yup! I lend them to anyone who needs them. I also use them to help in my own various jobs." I ignored her questioning look and said, "If you want, you can sleep here tonight. I've got a few extra rooms, and you can take your pick." She nodded, grabbed her things, and went in search of one of the said rooms. "Oh, and Cece?" She looked back at me. "I've got a business proposal for you. Let's talk over some dinner, ok?" she nodded and continued on her way.

During dinner, I was watching as Cecelia wolfed down anything in sight. I was a little afraid to try to get something, in case she grabbed my hand and tried to eat me. I just sat and marveled at the sight. I decided to ask her what I had mentioned earlier and see if she heard me.

"Cecelia, I was wondering if you would like to be my apprentice." After choking on her food a little, she swallowed and answered.

"You want me as your apprentice?" I nodded, "Yup! I've been meaning to get another one, but I haven't found anyone willing to travel with me. I have a reputation as an eccentric wacko- not that I haven't encouraged it at every opportunity. So, what do you say?" She looked thoughtful, but not persuaded, so I continued, "Although you'll be bound in a two-year contract, I'll give you food-three square meals a day, plus snacks- protection, and a personal transportation servant, and even get you ice cream!" She looked slightly persuaded, so I told her that she could think of her answer and tell me in the morning. With that over and done with, we finished our meals, and then I went to go lock up the house so that I wouldn't have to find time/ wake up early in order to do it in the morning. After I was done, I walked around until I couldn't feel my eyes, and then I went to sleep.

Later, I woke up on the living room couch that I had spotted Cece sitting on earlier. I couldn't find out what had woken me, so I just rolled over and prepared to go back to sleep. However, as I was about to do so, I heard a small noise near the room Cece had chosen to sleep in. As I feigned turning over in my sleep, I stole a look at the door and saw that she seemed to be looking for something. When she saw the couch, she shrugged, and before I could warn her, she tensed, ran, and jumped onto the couch- the one that I was laying on. I yelped as her bony little body crashed down on top of mine, and when she heard me, she literally flew backwards and off of me. As I started wheezing from the lack of oxygen anywhere in my body, she came up to me, "Oh my god, are you okay? I thought you were in one of the rooms and I didn't see you and I was just looking for a different place to sleep!" I glowered at her, and she stopped talking. I took a deep, painful breath, and I said, "I'm fine." She sighed in relief, and I continued, "Why didn't you want to sleep in the master bedroom?" She frowned, then said, "Well, there's that big creepy statue in there, and it kind of scared me, so I decided to sleep here, 'cuz I remembered how comfy it was from earlier." I nodded. The grotesquely decorated urn was a gift from my foster father, Steve, who has a horrible taste in decoration.

As neither of could find the energy to go to sleep, she sat with me on the couch, and we talked. When she got around to the topic of what I did, I evaded her question with one of my own, "What have you decided about my offer?" She fell silent, contemplating.

After a while, she spoke, "I've decided to come with you, but first I want to know where we would be going tomorrow." I nodded, "Well, technically, the correct term would be 'today',"

Cece PoV;

"We're going to rendezvous with my friends, and then we're going to find the king." She said in her low tenor voice. I gasped, "The king?" She nodded. We are going to offer our assistance in ending the war. We've been helping behind the scenes for a while now, but today we are going to make it official."

My eyes widened. "I'm going to meet the true heir of Gondor…"

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EmpressArginett; Finally! I've turned a dirty piece of crap into something that resembles and exposition! My genius has not failed me! So, just to let you know, Cecelia has a rare form of Fangirlitis in the case of Aragorn. He is her hero,

and –as much as it sickens me- she will be constantly drooling over his pompous self. I like the guy, but I usually take on the opinions of my favorite character or my OCs and Arginett has a love-hate relationship with him. Well, stay tuned!

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Arginett: I hate that urn!

Steve: Why?

Arginett: … I was just kidding! I love that urn!

Aragorn: Bipolar moment…

Cecelia: I know, right? Anyway, please review and tell us how it was! Arginett likes appreciation for her hard work!

Arginett: Darn straight I do!

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Review Plz!


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